Method of manufacturing thread



June 15, 194 s. w. ALDERFER METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THREAD Filed Cot.23, 1941 v INVENTOK STERL/N W HLDERFER 3 i l 0 V m I w 1/ K/ Z l O 00 OM @v M l\ M 2 W g the operation of the invention.

knitting operations.

Patented June 15, 1943 METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THREAD Sterling W.Alderfer, Akron, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Edward D. Andrews, Akron,Ohio.

Application October 23, 1941, Serial No. 416,199

. 9 Claims. (Cl. 57-168) The present invention has. as its object amethod for the manufacture of threads "or cord which may be used for avariety of purposes. Its particular object is to manufacture a threadwhich is elastic to a more or less predetermined degree which has adistinctive lustre or sheen resulting in a thread which, when woven orknitted, creates fabrics of unusually beautiful appearance and utility.The resultant thread is stronger and more elastic than silk and may beused with better results for stockings and other garments. In certainadaptations of the invention, it is possible to obtain a thread in whichthe high lights are difiused so as to create a very attractiveappearance. The new thread may be knitted or woven on standard machinesused for that purpose and the fabric has a softer hand than silk, rayonor other like materials which are in commercial use.

Heavier cords or threads may likewise be made and have many uses forwhich they are better suited than known materials.

The thread is preferably made from sheets or films of rubberhydrochloride, rubber chloride, or combinations of these two materials.and while these are the best known or preferred materials, t will beunderstood that other elastic or semielastic materials which may bedeveloped and which will react similarly are not excluded from fromvinyl chloride or vinyl chloride derivatives or from cellulose acetatesor similar compounds may likewise be employed. It is necessary that thematerials become sticky and self adhesive upon'the application of heatand that they be more or less stretchable.

The specific rubber materials named above are Sheeting made 1.

preferred because of their inherent elasticity which is utilized insecuring the results set forth and also because they will soften by theapplication of heat and become slightly tacky so as to adhere during thetwisting and rolling operations. These materials also, when treated aswill be described, give a balanced thread which has no tendency to kinkor twist upon itself. This is a desirable property which facilitatesweaving or It is not intended that the invention be restricted to rubbermaterials, and when the term rubber-like materials is employed, it isnot intended to exclude the larger stood that the apparatus may bemodified and that exact adherence to the details of the process is notessential.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus such as maybe employed for the purposes set forth, it being understood'that thisview illustrates only one complete unit and that in commercialadaptations of the invention many of these units'may be mounted in asingle spinning machine.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing the means by which the materialis heated, stretched and rolled under tension prior to the twisting orspinning operation.

Fig. 3 is a modification of the device shown in Fig. 2, in which therolling before twisting is omitted.

Fig. 4' is an enlarged view of the elements shown in Fig. 1.

In the operation of the invention, sheets of the material selected arecut into narrowstrips I.

- whereby very fine threads may be produced. The

combined operation of heating and stretching produces a softer and morepliable product than is obtained by either step singly. In the preferredprocess the softened. heated and elongated'strip is rolled upon itselfwhich increases its tensile strength and produces a round strand or ply.

The strands thus formed. either with or without rolling, are twistedwhile still soft, warm and tacky to make the finished thread.

In the apparatus shown, the spinning frame is indicated at I in whichare supported the spools, one of which is indicated at 2, on which theribbon of material is wound. The spools may be replaced bya long beamextending over the spinning frame on which a plurality of ribbons arewound. From the spools the ribbon of material 3 passes through an eye 5and thence in contact with the first roll 6, which is preferably a feedroll, against which the ribbon of material is held by thespring-actuated pressure roll 8. From the roll 8 the ribbon passes tothe driven roll I!) of a pair of rolls which are heated and thence tothe second heated driven roll l2. The roll I0 is driven at the samesurface speed as the feed roll 6 and the rolls l0 and I2 are driven atdiiferent surface speeds according to the degree of stretch which it maybe desired to impart to the heated, tacky ribbon, and if the ribbon isto be rolled, the roll I2 is provided with a conical flange H which actsupon the edge of the ribbon to roll it upon itself to form a roundstrand. As shown in Fig. 2, the flanges I should be offset along theroll l2 so that the ribbon will pass in a diagonal direction to itsprevailing line of travel during the rolling operation. If the ribbon isnot to be rolled, the rolls l and I! are arranged as shown in Fig. 3 inwhich the flanges H are omitted from the roll l2.

In the preferred adaptations of the process, a

result in a fine, strong, elastic thread of approximately 100 deniers.

A ribbon or strip of rubber hydrochloride or rubber chlorideapproximately {Ends of an inch wide and .004 of an inch thick iselongated six times passing from the roll 10 to the roll 12. This ribbonis rolled upon itself by the flange I4 so that the strand or yarn as itleaves the roll I2 is from .004 to .005 of an inch in diameter. Duringthe stretching and rolling operation, the

- material is heated between 125 and 250 F.

very substantial elongation is imparted to the ribbon of stock betweenthe rolls l0 and i2, it being desirable to move the roll 12 at severaltimes the surface speed of the roll ID. The exact extent of elongationimparted by the rolls l0 and [2 will depend upon a variety of factors,namely: the size of the original ribbon, both as to width and thickness;the size of the ultimate thread which is to be produced; and the extentof elasticity which is desired to be retained in the completed thread,for when the, finished thread is cool its elastic properties areaffected by the degree of heat and stretch which is applied during theoperation. During the time that I results.

\ the ribbon is acted upon by the rolls l0 and l2- s rubber will causethe convolutions of the'ribbon to adhere to one another in the strandand the product, as it leaves the rolls l2 or [2, will be suilicientlytacky to cause the material to adhere to itself during the subsequenttwisting or thread-making operation. In any event, the degree of stretchshould be below the breaking point of the ribbon or thread at thetemperature.

of operations and for certain results should be at or slightly below theelastic limit of the material. From the roll I! (or l2), the ply orstrand passes around tension rolls I15 and I6 through an eye I! andthence to the traveler 18 mounted on a ring I! on the spinning frame.material passes to the usual spool or spindle 20 which is revolved andthe ring is raised and lowered in accordance with usual spinningpractises. This operation imparts the desired twist to the thread, andas this operation is' performed while the strand is still warm, thefinished thread retains the twist which is thus imparted to it, and as aresult of the successive operations, a perfectly balanced, strong threadof high lustre is obtained.

It is noted that while the material in strip form is not clear butsomewhat cloudy, the combined operation of heating and stretchingremoves the cloudy appearance and gives a clear thread. Within operativelimits it has been found that with higher temperatures the materialbecomes clearer. Also it will be observed that by following theessential steps of the process, threads of high tensile strength may beobtained, and if the proper requisites are" observed as to size of theribbon, stretch and twist, threads of any degree of fineness may besecured.

While not in any way confining the operation of the invention to thedetails now to be set forth, the following will indicate steps whichwill Then the which gives the requisite clearness and tackiness to thematerial so that it will adhere both in the convolutions imparted by theflange H and also in the twisting operation imparted at the spinningframe. It is then twisted upon itself by the spinning operation to anydesired degree, 2 turns per inch would be a low and 30 turns per inchwould be high. An average twist of 10 times per inch will give uniformlysatisfactory The degree of twist is regulated by the relative speed ofthe spindle and linear travel which is imparted to the ribbon;

The thread produced by the process illustrated in Fig. 2 is composed ofa single strand of ribbon which is first rolled upon itself and is thentwisted. In commercial adaptations the thread made by either process may'be'used' as a'single yarn or it may be combined with-like in anydesirable cable construction. What is claimed is: p 1. A process ofmaking thre'a I forming a ribbon of a'rubberqikeimatemltrolling saidribbon upon itself to fornr='a, st and}. and

twisting the strand upon itself to thread. j 2. A process of making,threa o forming a ribbon ofmaterial whi'h-will tacky upon heating,heatln'gffthe ribbo the material becomes tacky, rol while tacky uponitself'to form as ranfd, and then twisting the strand to formthe thread.3'. A process of making thread comprising forming a ribbon ofmaterial'which will become tacky upon heating, rolling the ribbon uponitself to forma strand, twisting the strand to form the thread, andheating the material during the rolling and twisting operations so thatthe material is tacky and adhesive.

4. A process of making thread comprising forming a ribbon of materialwhich will stretch and become tacky upon heating, heating the ribbon torender its surface tacky, stretching the ribbon and rolling it whileunder tension and stretching the ribbon and rolling it upon itself toform a strand, and then twisting the strand while warm and tacky to formthe completed thread.

7. A process of making thread comprising heating a ribbon of rubber-likematerial until it becomes warm and tacky, simultaneously stretching theribbon to substantially its elastic limit and rolling it upon itself toform a strand, and then twisting the previously stretched strand threadsI 9. A process of making thread comprising a thread.

forming ribbons of material which will stretch and become tacky uponheating, heating the ribbons, rolling the ribbons upon themselves toform strands, stretching the material, and thereafter twisting thestrands together to form STERLING W. ALDERFER.

